China Justice Observer

中司观察

EnglishArabicChinese (Simplified)DutchFrenchGermanHindiItalianJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishHebrewIndonesianVietnameseThaiTurkishMalay

Shanghai Courts Aiming to Be "Preferred Seat" for International Shipping Litigation - China Legal News

Sat, 16 Jan 2021
Categories: China Legal Trends

avatar

 

In Deceber 2020, Shanghai High People's Court held a press conference to release the Bulletin on the Services of Shanghai Courts for Guaranteeing the Construction of Shanghai International Shipping Center (2018-2020). 

On 21 Dec. 2020, Shanghai High People's Court held a press conference to release the Bulletin on the Services of Shanghai Courts for Guaranteeing the Construction of Shanghai International Shipping Center (2018-2020) (上海法院服务保障上海国际航运中心建设工作情况通报(2018-2020)) (hereinafter referred to as the "White Paper"). This is the seventh in a series of press conferences held by Shanghai courts to promote high-quality judicial development.

According to statistics, from 2018 to 2020 (the 2020 statistics are as of October), Shanghai courts have accepted 14,632 cases of first instance concerning shipping-related civil and commercial matters, and have concluded 14,298 cases in total, among which, the most cases (7,494 cases) are disputes over the freight forwarding contract for the sea or the sea-connected waters, accounting for 51.22%; the other cases with a larger number are disputes over the contract for the carriage of goods by sea or sea-connected waters, contract for the carriage of goods by road, warehousing contract and so on.

The White Paper also publishes six typical cases, covering criminal, civil and commercial, maritime and other types of cases handled by the people's courts according to law. The six cases have representative legal issues as well as influential and typical judgments, which are mainly reflected in combating criminal crimes in the shipping field, leading to regulate the market behaviors of shipping subjects, ascertaining and applying foreign laws, supporting the shipping arbitration in accordance of the law and thus indicating Shanghai courts’ efforts to be the "preferred seat" for international shipping litigation.

Contributors: Yanru Chen 陈彦茹

Save as PDF

You might also like

China Enacts Landmark Private Economy Promotion Law

China enacted its landmark first Private Economy Promotion Law, effective May 20, 2025, to guarantee fair competition, streamline market access via a unified negative list, and bolster private enterprises through financing, innovation, and service support.

China Strengthens Criminal IP Protection with New Rules

In April 2025, China’s top court and procuratorate jointly issued a new judicial interpretation to clarify standards for handling criminal intellectual property infringement cases, aiming to strengthen IP protection, particularly in the service sector.

SPC’s 2024 Typical IP Cases Include AI Face-Swap Ruling

In April 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court released eight typical IP cases, highlighting judicial responses to emerging issues in AI, gaming, and biotech, including a landmark ruling on AI face-swapping copyright infringement.

China Eases Tax Refunds to Boost Inbound Tourist Spending

In 2025, China has lowered its departure tax refund threshold from 500 RMB to 200 RMB and doubled cash refund limits to 20,000 RMB while expanding eligible stores and streamlining processes, aiming to boost inbound tourism spending and promote Chinese products.

Chinese Courts Bolster Pregnant Workers' Rights Protection

In April 2025, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Supreme People's Court released typical labor dispute cases emphasizing stronger protection of pregnant employees' rights, including a case where unlawful job reassignment and salary reduction were ruled illegal.

China Revises Marriage Registration Regulation

China's revised marriage registration rules, effective May 2025, eliminate location restrictions, simplify procedures by removing hukou requirements, and align divorce processes with the Civil Code's cooling-off period.

China’s SPC Issues Foreign State Immunity Case Guidelines

In March 2025, China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) issued procedural guidelines for handling civil cases involving foreign state immunity, implementing the country's shift from absolute to restrictive immunity under the new Foreign State Immunity Law.